After three years of coaching the Oxford Varsity girl’s soccer team to victory, John Thaler has decided to pass the baton to Mark Sullivant.
Sullivant, a resident of Ortonville, will take over as coach this spring and has high hopes of making Oxford number one in the Flint Metro League.
Thaler decided to only coach the varsity boys team so he could spend more time with his family.
‘Two varsity sports a year was very time consuming and my family and I decided one was enough,? he said.’I think (Sullivant) will do a fine job tuning the program.?
Sullivant began coaching soccer in 1985, after a successful high school career in the sport and playing on various leagues, like the Michigan United Soccer League.
He’s coached, played and trained soccer teams for 39 years combined and is no stranger to coaching in Oxford.
Sullivant served as the JV boys coach and the assistant Varsity coach to Thaler from 2002-2003 and in 2007. He also is a trainer for the Lake Orion Brandon Oxford Soccer (LOBOS) club.
‘In terms of the coaching part of it, I love working with kids,? he said, noting that his daughter, Amy, was a player during her college years at the University of Michigan and then went on to play professionally. His son, Adam, played for Oxford as well.
‘I found a lot of the coaching at the younger level wasn’t very good and I just felt like they needed more,? he said, adding that to really establish a great soccer player, one must begin at an early age. ‘I wanted to jump in where I could be helpful.?
Sullivant considers himself a proponent of women’s athletics and hopes to build up the girl’s soccer program and community youth programs that would lead to a great high school team.
‘When (students) walk through the doors of Oxford High School, we want to be able to have a program that will bring it all together for them,? he said. ‘For most kids, that’s the pinnacle of their career.?
Although Sullivant has coached both boys and girls, he said the approach he takes with different teams are ‘like night and day.?
‘Males almost expect a certain level of discipline and they have a different motivation when they get on the field to play,? he said. ‘I think women play more for the team as much as they do for themselves. The bonding and relationships on the team is more important.?
Look for Sullivant in action this spring.